John knew Dave was thinking too hard because he was uncharacteristically quiet. When Strider wasn't filling the silence with monologues littered with creative metaphors he was minimally composing raps of varying quality under his breath. In fact he was pretty certain Dave wasn't even aware he was acting out of character. John did what any reasonable best friend would do, given the situation.
Dave was deftly dodging between students in the halls, his mind elsewhere. He was vaguely aware of his friend's presence beside him, and he counted on John to know where they were going, since he wasn't concentrating on navigating to their shared science period.
John, being the good pal that he was, calculated the best way to take advantage of his absent mindedness. It wasn't often that Dave let his guard down enough that John thought he could pull one over on him. After all, Dave was virtually a ninja in his own right.
He made a few quick calculations, hoping Dave was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice the change in atmosphere, or feel the tension in John's body as he prepared to attack. He shifted his momentum suddenly, moving as if to slam into Dave. Dave was jarred into cognizance as he quickly moved to avoid John's body, only to have to whirl out of the way of a gaggle of girls who were all four holding hands. He stepped further aside, annoyed as he had to duck under a short boy holding a large popsicle stick art project and slam himself into the lockers as a math teacher cast him an irritated stare. Dave glared at John, who was wearing a grin of victory. Dave's eyes narrowed behind his shades as he waited for the ebb in the tide of students so he could dart back over to the proper flow of traffic, where John waited off to the side, pressing his body against the walls so he wouldn't get pulled along.
"I'm sure that short person would have appreciated you breaking his castle of sticks, you know with my body," Dave fell back into rhythm beside John, feeling a twinge of anger for allowing himself to be caught unprepared.
John shrugged. "I figured you would manage to dodge him, but I thought I'd get you tangled up with Mr. Briggs."
"Oh thanks," Dave said, plotting revenge. "I would have received four weeks of detention so you could laugh your ass off at your supposed best friend manhandling a teacher. And Jegus fuck you know Mr. Briggs would probably decide to body slam me with his massive bulk. His fleshy form suffocating, crushing me into a Strider pancake, which is a handsome breakfast food, but has zero nutritional value."
John shifted his backpack on his shoulder. "You have no one to blame but yourself. I just lost my balance, and you stumbled into our peers."
Dave scoffed. "Lost your balance my ass. You waited until I wouldn't have an opening to move anywhere but towards the fragile art project of used dessert pieces. I didn't even dodge that because I was worried he'd cry, but so his corn syrup and slobber residue would not touch me."
"You could have just let me hit you."
"It was automatic," Dave fisted his hands in his pockets. "If your brother threw things at you for training you'd learn to dodge subconsciously too."
They shuffled into the classroom with everyone else. Dave plopped his book bag at the free desk by the window, feeling he deserved it more than John. He gave him an annoyed look so John knew he was mad they didn't get to sit in the back because he made them late.
John was too busy reveling in his successful prank to pay his friend's scorching gaze much mind.
The teacher was an hour long into a monologue on cell membranes when Dave's cell vibrated. He looked over his shoulder at Terezi, who was leaning low in her seat and grinning in his direction. He looked at the message under his desk. The teacher most likely would have noticed if he looked up, but Mr. X didn't really care that much if his students were on their cells.
-gallowsCalibrator [GC]- began pestering -turntechGodhead [TG]-
GC: H3Y COOL K1D :]
TG: sup
GC: D1D YOU T3LL H1M Y3T
TG: tell who what
GC: YOU KNOW
GС: D1D YOU T3LL JOHN YOU W4NT TO H4V3 H1S B4B13S
TG: nope
GC: TH4T'S PR3TTY L4M3 D4V3 ]:
TG: i dont recall asking for you to stick your extra long nose into it pyrope
TG: besides babies will have to wait until i discern whether my best friend would be interested in strider beef and man macking before we start talking kids
TG: one step at a time
GC: 1 KN3W YOU'D PUNK OUT ON M3
GC: DO 1 H4V3 TO ST3P 1N 4ND F1X TH1S D4V3
TG: i dont foresee any good coming of you stepping in and doing anything
TG: how about you concentrate on your own romantic tryst instead and ill focus on my private man crushes all on my lonesome
GC: TH3 CRUSH P4RT 1SNT FUN 4NYMOR3 1 W4NT MOOOOR3
TG: i need to turn you on to some soap operas so youll stop getting your jollies from my dismal personal drama as it were
TG: really dont you have other people to scheme against
GC: :D
TG: oh god just leave it alone
TG: if i thought for a second he was interested id be on it but so far he doesnt seem to be even aware of the concept of dating
TG: you should concentrate on passing your classes
GC: 1 W1LL P4SS TH3M 1F NOT 1N TH3 TR4D1T1ON4L S3NS3…
TG: its true that blackmail is usually considered nontraditional
GC: ;]
-gallowsCalibrator [GC]- ceased pestering -turntechGodhead [TG]-
The bell released them from the lecture, and Dave was the first to the door, despite being one of the furthest from it. John was pretty quick himself, seeing as lunch was the next period. John waited for Dave to launch into a tirade about the monotony of the class or his continued annoyance at John's earlier escapades, but Dave instead had his hands shoved into his pockets and was staring straight ahead, lost inside his own head again.
"I'm just going to talk about how great National Treasure is until you pay attention to me," John huffed, glaring behind him as his fellow students bumped his shoulder roughly and kept moving.
"Why are you torturing me? I certainly haven't done anything worthy of the amount of effort you're putting into aggravating me today," Dave forced himself to focus on John and stop thinking about John.
"What's on your mind man?"
Dave smirked. "Nothing."
"You've been spacing all day," John turned his body to avoid another student. The hallways were always more packed closer to the cafeteria.
"I have a more heightened awareness than anyone," Dave dodged everyone around him without making it look like he was moving at all. "And how about what has been on your mind all day that you are so in need of me filling the silence with my usual glorious words?"
John flinched guiltily, not nearly as good at hiding his thoughts or redirecting conversation. "Um… nothing."
Dave raised an eyebrow at him. "Sounds like you're trying to bullshit me."
John stepped out of the line headed for food. "I forgot to get a book from my locker. Meet you at the table."
Well that wasn't suspicious. As a good friend Dave had no other course of action but to investigate this unusual behavior.
He caught up to John outside his locker, which was in the art wing of the school. Most of the classrooms were in session for the students who had the later lunch period, like Rose and Jade. John had regained his composure, stuffing suspicious gadgets, textbooks, and notes from his father back into his locker. You made it to page 246 if your math textbook, you now understand pre-algebra, I am so proud of you son, you are now a man.
John waved the math textbook sheepishly. "You didn't have to walk me to my locker, see, I got it."
Dave shrugged. "I wasn't hungry anyway. So is something up with you?"
"Nope," John shoved the book in his bag, crushing notebook paper at the bottom in his haste. "Let's try to get back before they're out of fries."
"That ship as probably sailed."
John sighed. "I'm sorry I've just, well Terezi was saying some weird things to me earlier and I can't get them out of my head." He tugged on his shirt. "Usually I could count on you distracting me but you seem to have your own issues today."
Dave felt a pit in his stomach. She'd talked to John already, before she had even had that conversation with Dave in class?
A group of students came into the hall so he pulled John into an empty classroom. "Out of curiosity what exactly did the lady Pyrope say to you and about what, and also she's a dirty liar, probably."
John's eyebrows shot up. "Apparently you have an idea of what she said."
Dave crossed his arms, the pit in his stomach hardening into a lead ball of dread. "She could have revealed any number of personal secrets I naively revealed and she in turn passes around frivolously like fruit cakes during the holidays."
"You know I never said she mentioned something about you," John shifted his feet and set his jaw, walking to glance at the window and stare at the students running to get some food before lunch ended. "She said you were keeping a secret from me, about being in love. It seems like it's true."
"Oh," he said, watching John closely. "I guess that's kind of true."
John was paying close attention too, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around. "You never told me you even liked anyone."
The word fuck played like a broken record in the forefront of Dave's mind. "I don't know if they like me back." Stupid fucking fuck.
The tension was weird and palpable. John didn't want to play games anymore, he had to know. "Dave who is it?"
"You," it slipped from Dave's lips without his consent.
John's shoulder's tightened. "That's not funny Dave." His blood was rushing loudly in his ears. "Why would you tell Terezi you have a crush on me?"
"Because I love you," Dave turned John around so John was staring into his own reflection in Dave's sunglasses.
John froze, electricity bolting up his spine. He jerked back. "No you don't Dave."
"Excuse me? Did I miss the memo that told me you were the new foremost authority on my feelings you jackass?" Dave let John slip away from him, letting his hands fall to his sides. "Tell me you think I'm gross or you don't like me back, but don't tell me what I feel asshole."
John's eyes flashed angry for a moment. "You're Dave Strider!"
"Motherfucking Strider," he corrected.
"Yes! Exactly! Dave Motherfucking Strider!" John pulled back further. "And I'm John, just John."
Dave frowned harder. "You're not just John. I don't understand what you're getting at." This was not going the way he expected.
"For fuck's sake, you're going to get bored of me!" John kept his hands fisted at his side, trying not to make angry gestures at Dave. He felt cold down to his bones, but he refused to back down from this. The words poured from his mouth so readily now, hurrying as if he just wanted to push everything out of him, let Dave know every thought he'd had swirling around in his brain. As if saying it all would empty his mind of it forever. "Dave I don't even think you know what you want! How do you know if you want to date a guy, let alone me? How many girls have you dated? How many guys? I'm going to bet not a lot. So that leaves me with being in a relationship almost destined for failure. Who stays with their high school boyfriend or girlfriend? Besides we've been friends forever, why now? And if it doesn't work then what happens to our friendship? What about Rose and Jade? How will they feel about it?" John took a breath, trying to think if he was leaving anything out. "And also having me for a boyfriend sounds like it would be more boring for you than for me. That leaves me being the one feeling unsure about everything. Like you said, you're Dave Motherfucking Strider."
After saying all that he felt drained, and completely exhausted. He almost didn't know what to do now. No matter what Dave had to say, now he just wanted a nap.
Dave felt his muscles relax, tension leaving his body as he sighed. "That's it? Aw man John, just fuck that shit. I can't believe you've been thinking about this."
"That's it?" John stared at him disbelieving. "Oh yeah, that monologue of troubling problems. Yeah, that's it."
"I can't believe you think you're boring. You're the guy who switched the girl's and boy's bathroom signs on the third floor. And didn't you replace the teacher's chalk with candy?"
John snorted. "She didn't even notice until halfway through the lecture."
Dave smirked, almost laughing with relief. Almost. "John in all that nonsense you didn't say whether you want to actually date me."
John threw him a rude look. "How about fuck you."
"I was hoping we could start slower but Jegus John," Dave was in front of him in the next second. "I guess you're just after me for my body after all."
John made a noble attempt to re-swallow his heart. "There's not much else there besides the body."
"Forget the rest of that shit," Dave leaned in closer. "Do you want to date me?"
"No," John said, trying to inch around Dave and leave. "You didn't hear a word I said."
"I heard you being a pussy. I love you and you at least want to try dating me," Dave cocked his head, waiting to see if John would deny it. When John just stared at him he continued. "I thought so. Let's just do it. The rest of the stuff will work itself out."
John felt his resolve weakening. He shook his head. "It's a bad idea."
Dave kissed him. John shuddered as the taller boy pressed their lips together. His body heated under Dave's hands. He was torn between the need to breath and the fear that if he moved at all that Dave wouldn't keep kissing him. John bunched his fingers in Dave's jacket. After what seemed like too short of time Dave pulled back. "Is it still a bad idea?"
John felt like he'd drank ten cups of coffee. His whole body was acting strange. "Dave I don't…"
"Too late, I just updated my relationship status on like five different social networks," Dave leaned in for another kiss, pressing his lips firmly to John's lips. He pulled back, fingers flying across his iPhone. "I'll drive you home after school. Meet you by the track."
He walked to the door as John struggled to find words. "You don't have a car." Was the best he could come up with.
Dave laughed as he closed the door behind him.
